Fiat 500E News

Kia is frantically working on a pair of small electric vehicles (EVs) that could reshape the bottom end of the new-car market by bringing near-price parity with internal combustion engine alternatives. The big news is that both the EV2 small crossover expected to debut sometime next year and its EV1 city-car sibling due a little later on are under serious consideration for Australia. This is despite being readied for production out of Slovakia, due to EV tax concessions as well as vast economies of scale that should help contain prices if or when they land here.

Fiat has detailed some wild drive-away pricing deals for its regular 500e and hot Abarth 500e electric hatches to stimulate sales and clear out existing stock.The Italian carmaker is still selling model year 2023 (MY23) versions of both the Fiat 500e and Abarth 500e.Until September 30 or until stock runs out, the Fiat 500e La Prima is now priced from $38,990 drive-away and the Abarth 500e Scorpionissima is priced from $43,990 drive-away.Typically the Fiat 500e La Prima is $52,500 before on-road costs and the Abarth 500e Scorpionissima is $60,500 before on-road costs. This is a saving over $15,000, depending on the model.This new drive-away pricing puts it closer to the more affordable EVs on sale in Australia. These include the BYD Dolphin ($29,990 before on-roads), GWM Ora ($33,990 drive-away) and MG4 ($37,990 drive-away).This isn’t the first time a car brand has had to slash the asking price of its electric vehicles (EVs) to clear out stock. Notable examples include the Peugeot e-2008 in 2024 and the Jeep Avenger Longitude earlier this year.The Fiat 500e launched in Australia in 2023 exclusively as a top-spec La Prima hatchback.It’s powered by a single, front-mounted electric motor producing 87kW of power and 220Nm of torque. This is fed by a 42kWh lithium-ion battery pack.Fiat claims the 500e La Prima can do the 0-100km/h sprint in 9.0 seconds and it has a claimed range of 311km according to WLTP testing.The Abarth 500e, on the other hand, launched in Australia in late 2023 in Scorpionissima trim. A Turismo trim arrived in 2024.It’s powered by a more powerful single, front-mounted electric motor producing 114kW of power and 235Nm of torque. This is fed by a 42kWh lithium-ion battery pack.Abarth claims the 500e Scorpionissima can do the 0-100km/h sprint in 7.0 seconds and it has a claimed range of 253km according to WLTP testing.Fiat doesn’t split out sales data between its petrol and electric 500/500e/695 models.In the first six months of 2025 it has sold 207 examples of the 500/500e/695, which is down 28.6 per cent year-on-year.

Fiat is bringing back petrol power to its iconic 500 hatchback after committing to going electric only.The bambino was a petrol-only model from when it was reborn in 2007 until parent company Stellantis launched the second-gen version of the modern era as an electric vehicle, the 500e.Fiat will use the 500e as the basis for a new mild hybrid petrol version that will begin production at Fiat’s spiritual home in Turin, Italy in November this year.Official images reveal that the new 500 will look much the same as the 500e, although the petrol car gets a tweaked grille to aid air flow.The move to retrofit the 500e as an internal combustion engine variant comes after sales of the 500e and the related Abarth 500e hot hatch have slowed, leading to multiple production pauses at the Mirafiori plant.The 2007 petrol 500 went out of production a few years ago after no longer meeting Europe’s emissions standards.Fiat’s new 500 will be offered in hatchback and cabriolet body styles, and in good news for motoring enthusiasts, it will also be offered with a six-speed manual gearbox.It is powered by a 1.0-litre three-cylinder ‘Firefly’ mild hybrid petrol engine, likely the same unit found in the new Panda. The mild hybrid setup is a 12-volt system that Fiat says helps improve fuel efficiency, however official fuel figures are yet to be confirmed.Inside the 500 comes with Fiat’s Uconnect 5 multimedia system linked to a customisable 10.25-inch touchscreen, as well as a 7.0-inch digital driver’s display and wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.A spokesperson for Stellantis Australia told CarsGuide the mild hybrid 500 is not under consideration for Australia, for now.If it gets the green light for Australia it will compete against other micro and light combustion-powered hatchbacks including the MG3, Suzuki Swift and Kia Picanto.Fiat CEO and Global CMO of Stellantis Olivier François described the return of the petrol 500 to the Turin plant as a win.“Bringing the 500 Hybrid back to Mirafiori is a promise kept - a win driven by a committed team that chose to bet on the customer and the future,” he said.“This factory is more than just a production site; it’s Fiat’s home, the beating heart of a story that began in 1957 with Dante Giacosa and today stands as a hub of Stellantis innovation in Europe. Our industrial plan for Italy puts Mirafiori and the 500 at the center of our revival. In November, we’ll celebrate this milestone with the special edition ‘500 Torino’—a tribute to the city, its workers, and our roots. Turin means Fiat, and Fiat means Turin. That’s why the official launch will take place here, in our city.”

In the face of ever-tightening vehicle emission performance standards for car and light commercial vehicles applied by the EU’s European Commission and growing inventory, particularly in North America, the world’s fourth-largest carmaker Stellantis has decided to reduce production of selected petrol and diesel models across its brand portfolio.

Carmakers in Europe and the US are pulling back their electric car plans in a worrying sign for the zero-emissions technology.

Stellantis has announced that production of the Fiat 500e will be paused for four weeks due to low consumer demand.

Fiat slashes the price of its 500e hatchback, but are the best deals yet to come?

Fiat has confirmed a hybrid version of the 500e electric car will be released in 2026 following slower than expected sales of the EV at home and abroad.The new hybrid city car, to be known as the 500e Ibrida, will be produced at Turin’s Mirafiori plant alongside the existing electric car.Unsurprisingly, there are political reasons surrounding the decision with a need to keep Fiat's Mirafiori plant flowing with production for the local market. Last year, only 64,244 500es found homes in Europe compared to 108,943 combustion models (which are built in Poland).To satiate some of this demand, the 500e Ibrida will use a 1.0-litre mild-hybrid three-cylinder ‘FireFly’ petrol engine as found in the Fiat Panda that develops 51kW and 92Nm.The new car will use the same platform as the 500e which is not the bespoke STLA small platform but an electric capable version of the Alfa MiTo’s SCCS architecture.The 500e hybrid will be highly Italian with its engine produced in Termoli, the exhaust in Napoli and gearbox at its home Mirafiori plant.“Italy serves as our foundation, our driving force and our future”, says CEO Olivier Francois.“And Mirafiori is one of our engines which represents Italy, its people, its values, its pride and the 500.“But today, 90 per cent of Mirafiori production goes abroad. To increase the number of 500s on the road in Italy and to answer the Italian customers, we have decided to produce the new 500 Ibrida”, he added.Naturally, the hybrid 500e will cost less than its electric counterpart which is dear in Australia at $52,500 for the La Prima. No Australian plans have been announced for the 500e Ibrida but it would be a unique option alongside the Kia Picanto, Suzuki Swift and MG3.The previous-gen combustion Fiat 500 is currently built at Stellantis’ Tychy plant in Poland to satisfy the more affordable end of the European and overseas markets. It is understood this plant is where Leapmotor affordable electric cars will be built in the future.The Fiat 500 – that launched in 2008 on the Fiat Mini platform – won’t end its life just yet, though, with production expected to move to Algeria.

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